Paper sheet testing device



June 2, 1942. K. R. s'rAuss 2,285,371

PAPER SHEET TESTING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1940 Tia- ATfoRNEY I required to'test .the same-cards bearonthe-edges of ,zterinined time-interval. y 3 Another object of the present invention re- 5 Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES PAT V PAr nsH ENT OFFICE,

Karl R. StausspVestal, N. Y.,- assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York; N. Y., a corporation of New York 6 {I Application March 4, 1940, Serial No. 322,122

2 Claims. (01. 73-51) Thisinvention relates to al device for testing and determining the "edge resistance and durability of paper sheets,

It is well known'that in certa n types of ac-,

counting machines individual control records or. "sheets are employed for controlling the actions of the machines. "These control records usually 5 consist of cards made from predetermined paper stock. Due to the fact that the cardsare handled repeatedly by the card handling mechanisms of the machines and that the cards are subjected to unusual physical stresses, it is ef extreme importance to determine the true characteristics of l the cards in orderto ascertain whether or not "the cards as manufactured meet the required specifications for use in such machines.

Since the card handling mechanisms act upon the edges of the cards to feed themirom the supply hoppers to the" machines it is necessary to be able todetermine accuratelythe card edge-1 resistance and durability of. the different types of suggested cards. The'edges oiinferior grade of cards tend to! fray or burr after being used in the machines a short period of time. A

damaged card of this naturecausesthe normal action of the card feeding mechanism tobe blocked and interfered with. Heretofore, it has 1 been customary to test the cards bypassing them continuously through-the actual card feeding mechanisms to determine theitendencies of the card; edges of fraying or burring when exposed to the physical actions of the card handling mechanisms thereupon.v l It is now 'suggested'to testand determ ine the card edge resistance and durability by subjecting j the edges of the cards to the action of the presi ent invention which enables one to measure the edge strengths of different types of cards in an extremely shortperiod of time. The timed period required to test the'cards by the device to be described presently is but a'fraction of the time V by the actual card handling mechanisms.

' l 0 Therefore, an object of the present invention resides in theprovision of an improvedand simplified devicefor'testi'ng the resistant, bility of sheet'or' card'edges. I

e and dura- "Another object .''of. the present invention resides in theprovisionof a reciprocating weighted contact arm which is brought.intocooperative.

j relationship -with. the card edges so that the in- 'fluence eta-predetermined force is brought to .the cards fora prede- In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view'of the operating mechanism of the testing device.

Fig. 2 is a front elev the testing device.

'Fig. 3 is an end View of the testing device. Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 a preferredembodiment of the testing device is shown to 'comprise a positionable member l0 slidablymounted f in the channels II which areformed in or as part of thesupporting' plates I2. A connecting link I3 is provided, having one end thereof loosely connected to the upper side of the member In and theother end -thereof pivotally mountedon a suitably disposed post l4. The said connecting link is driven by an eccentric drive wheel l5 which is secured to the shaft I6 protruding from a gear reduction unit generally indicated by the numeral ll. The gearreduction unit is connected to a suitable motor I8 by means 'of a coupling member I9. The eccentric wheel drives the connecting link by means of stud 20 secured to wheel 15 and cooperating with an elongated slot 2| formed in the said link; In view of the described connections it'is understood that therotating drive wheel I5 is effective.

a: reciprocate the slidable member [0 in the channel-way formed in the supporting plates.

An operating arm 22 is pivotally supported by a"bifurcated member 23 depending from and secured to the slidable member ll]. Obviously the said bifurcated member and slidable member can be formed as an integral unit,'if desired.

The said operating: arm carries a suitable test weight 24, a complementary counter-balance weight 25, and a contact roller or insert 26. The

i said contact'insert is adapted to engage and ride over the edge of a sheet or card 21 which is rigidly held in place between a fixed backing plate 28 and an adjustable clamping plate 29,-

the latter being urged by the suitably disposed springs 30 to exert a steady pressure against the card.

From the description up to this point it is seen,

ati o'n of the mechanism of when the contact insert carried by the operating arm is permitted to bear upon the edge of a card inserted between the clamping and backing plates, that the said contact insert travels back and forth over a predetermined length of the card edge. The said length of travel depends upon the dimensions of the eccentric drive wheel l5 and the slot in the connecting link 13.

The reciprocating movement of the contact insert over the card edge is continued, during a test operation, for a predetermined time, or stated in other words, until a predetermined number of complete reciprocationsof the contact stud over the test card have been effected. Upon completion of this test operationthe' condition;

of the card edge can be determined visuallyor by examination with suitable gauges.

The number of complete reciprocationsmade by the contact stud 26 and operating arm 22 is indicated by a counting device 34. The said counting device is-suitably disposed with respect totheslidable member"): and fixed1to one of the supportingplates: l2-as shown. To the operating shaft ,of the counting device is :se-

cured a depending counter operating pawl 36 which isnormally disposed in the path of the reciprocating-member l0 so: that the said mem- 'belT I'D is effective during its reciprocating move- -ment to cause rotation of the counter shaft due to the engagement. of the member with the operating pawl. In this manner :each complete'reciprocation is counted by the device 34 whenever the testing'device is set into. operation for testing the cards.

It should be mentioned that'a slotted'guide member 3| is provided, throughwhich the'operating arm extends, for the purpose of maintaining the line of travel of theoperating arm in a -straightline; anadjustable rheostat 32 with a companion'locking screw33' is provided so that :with the" former connected in the motor circuit ;it.can be used to obtainthe desired speed control of the reciprocating members; and an adjustable 'holdingpin'33a serves as a support when posiand corrected to any desired value with the aid of the motorrrheostat control and the observation of the number ofcompleteireciprocations:during a predetermined timed .interval. -of the cardstto be testedshould be examined for any broken or burred :edges before insertion in Also,.the edges the device so that erroneous results are not obtained. Insertion of the:car.d in the device consists of: raising the weighted-operating arm 22 on the-supporting pin 33, withdrawing the clampingplate to permit insertion of the card between the backingan'd; clamping platesand. then carefully lowering thesaid operating arm in position "on: the card edge. The motor is then connected 1 to a-suitable; power supply to set the mechanism described in motion until'thedesired number of reciprocations of the operatinggarm and contact insert-are indicated by the'counting device. The

caroLis' then removed for examination.

' The continuous action and influence of the weighted operating-arm upon the card edge dur- \ing at predetermined number of reciprocations the-reovercauses a fraying or premature breakdown on the edges of cards having inferior strength. Cards'having the. required edge re- .jllSt described offers a quick, accurate, and simp lified means for determining and testing the re- "sistance of'these card edges.

While there has been shown and described and pointed outthe fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will beun'derstood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may 'be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore .to'be limited only as indicated by the scope of the-following claims.

-What is claimed is:

1. A device for testing the edges of cards comprising cardsupporting means consisting of a fixed supporting member and a clamping member for holding the inserted card in an upright position to expose an edge of thecardto be tested, an operating arm including an element attached to one end. thereof for engaging thesaid exposed edge of the test card, said arm'includ- 'inga predetermined weight to cause the said'element thereof to bear upon the card. edge" with a certain fixed pressure, a slidable member for actuating the operating arm,"said.slidablermember having 2. depending .bifurcated member to which the other-end of said operating arm is pivotally :connected, andmeans for reciprocating the'slidable memberto cause the element of .the. operating armlto bear back and forth over the exposed edge of the test card for determining the resistance of the card edge, said means including. an eccentric drive wheel and a cooperating arm having one end thereof pivotally connected to thesaid slidable member.

..A device for testing edge fed record cards comprising card supporting means consisting of a fixed supporting plate and a clamping plate for holding the inserted card in an upright posi- .tion to expose an edge of the card to betested,

resilient means urging the said plates together upon the said card, an operating arm including a contact insert attached to one end for engaging the said exposed edge, the said arm having weights and counterweights to cause the said contact. insert thereof to bear upon the said card :edge with a certain stable pressure, a slidable member for actuating the said operating-arm, the said slidable member having a depending bifurcated member to which the other end of the said operating arm is pivotally connected, and means for reciprocating the slidable member to cause the said contact roller to ride back and forth over'the said exposed'card edge for determining the durability of the card edge to the action'of the said contact insert, the said means including an eccentric drive wheel and a cooperating-arm having one end pivotally connected tothesaid slidable member.

3.:Adevice for comparatively testing record cards normally fed into an accounting machine by a picker comprising card supporting means consisting of a fixed supporting plate anda clamping plat for holding. an inserted card in a position to expose an edge of the card to be tested, a pair of springs disposed at either end of i the said clamping plate for urging the said plates arm, the said slidable member having a depending bifurcated member to which the other end of said operating arm is pivotally connected, and means for reciprocating the slidable member to cause the said contact roller to ride back and forth over the said exposed card edge for determining the relative durability of the card edge ,to the action of the said contact roller, the said means including an eccentric drive wheel and a cooperating arm having one end pivotally connected to the said slidable member.

. KARL R. STAUSS. 

